Wow it has already been three weeks since I was banded. That is crazy. I am stuck in the middle of bandster hell. I can literally eat whatever I want without any problems. I suspect I can eat as much as I want but I haven't tested that. The only way I know I am really banded is the pain I get under my left ribcage where my port is. It gets worse as the day goes on, I suspect it has something to do with how my desk hits right about where my port is. I have to remember to sit back a little and not lean into my desk....which I should be doing anyway. I also think the pain gets worse after eating but that doesn't make a lot of sense unless it has something to do with the muscle and digestion. There were a few days this week where the pain was bad enough that I wanted to go home and lay down but I toughed it out.
Because of the port pain and the oppressive heat wave exercise has been non existent this week. Once I get home I don't want to leave again. It is so hot that I when I get home from work I have the a/c on, the ceiling fan and a floor fan and it is still to hot to move. I think we are close to 20 days with temps well over 100. Today is supposed to be 105. I was not made for hot weather it just isn't in my Norwegian DNA. Bring back the snow I say!!
Next week will be very taxing on my self control since I will be out of town most of the week. This is causing me lots of stress.
In other health news I have to have a crown put on one of my molars. I have never had anything really done to my teeth other than regular cleanings and a few minor cavities. I am seriously considering having them gas me. D told me not to have the gas because of the reaction I has after my surgery and I will be by myself and won't have anyone to drive me. After all I have been through in the last three weeks I know I can take the pain but I just don't want to.
Oh, and I almost forgot. As I walked into the office this morning someone stopped me and asked me if I had lost weight!! My first compliment!!! I almost hugged her.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
crash and burn
I am stuck in bandster hell and let me tell you, it sucks!! This weekend eating was not good, not entirely bad but compared to what I have been eating. Saturday I ate a protein bar for breakfast and no matter how hard I try I can't eat a protein bar without milk, plus added protein. We had a lot of errands to run so we went out for lunch and I got chicken strips; could have eaten them all but I didn't. Could have eaten all of them PLUS french fries but I knew better then to order them. Later that day I found a bag of cheetos, I think that pretty much says it all. Normally after eating that much I wouldn't be hungry for dinner but D made some strange hamburger concoction with okra and corn in it. I knew better then to try that so I took some out and melted some cheese over it and ate it like a burrito.
Yesterday was a little better but not by much. I ate bread for the first time, an entire grilled cheese sandwich to be exact.
I called my doctors office this morning and begged them for a fill a "little" early. They told me 18 days out from surgery I am just going to have to tough it out.
What really sucks is this time next week I will be on my way to Jackson MS for work so I will be eating out 3 times a day. In Jackson MS. Where they deep fat fry sweet tea. I know I will get through it, my fill is scheduled for August 3 but that seems like a lifetime away right now.
To make matters worse it is so hot outside that after I get home from work I don't want to leave the house. It is hot in my house with the A/C, ceiling fans and floor fans going. I can't believe it is hotter in Oklahoma than on the coast of Texas. There is something really wrong with that.
And finally the icing on the proverbial cake. I realized that the battery in my scale was wonky. I replaced it last night and this morning I was up 2 pounds from what it had been saying I weighed. Not sure if all the recreation eating is catching up to me or if the scale was wrong because of the battery, regardless, that is 2 freaking pounds. And as ridiculous as it sounds it is making me feel extremely fat today (and cranky if you hadn't caught on to that by now).
BLAH
Yesterday was a little better but not by much. I ate bread for the first time, an entire grilled cheese sandwich to be exact.
I called my doctors office this morning and begged them for a fill a "little" early. They told me 18 days out from surgery I am just going to have to tough it out.
What really sucks is this time next week I will be on my way to Jackson MS for work so I will be eating out 3 times a day. In Jackson MS. Where they deep fat fry sweet tea. I know I will get through it, my fill is scheduled for August 3 but that seems like a lifetime away right now.
To make matters worse it is so hot outside that after I get home from work I don't want to leave the house. It is hot in my house with the A/C, ceiling fans and floor fans going. I can't believe it is hotter in Oklahoma than on the coast of Texas. There is something really wrong with that.
And finally the icing on the proverbial cake. I realized that the battery in my scale was wonky. I replaced it last night and this morning I was up 2 pounds from what it had been saying I weighed. Not sure if all the recreation eating is catching up to me or if the scale was wrong because of the battery, regardless, that is 2 freaking pounds. And as ridiculous as it sounds it is making me feel extremely fat today (and cranky if you hadn't caught on to that by now).
BLAH
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Too little too late
I have been trying really hard to work my ass off for a very long time. In October my long time personal trainer changed gyms, forcing me to switch trainers after 2 year. I hadn't ever had a male trainer before but I thought the change might be good. I liked him alright but I wasn't seeing any weight loss. I told the new trainer that I was going to have WLS at the end of May and he literally had a fit in the lobby of the gym. I was very hurt and stopped going to the gym. I still walked/ran with my sister and friends but I hadn't been to the gym since that day. He really hurt my feelings, bad enough that I defriended him on Facebook, lol. A few weeks later he sent me a text asking me if I was really serious about the surgery and asking if I would still train with him afterwards. I answered most of his questions but never really said if I was going to train with him anymore. I have 12 pretty expensive sessions left and I was willing to just write him off after he made me feel like a failure.
Ever since the horrible encounter I have been kind of avoiding the gym. Just didn't want to have to see him and defend my choices again. Well yesterday I felt really good, no residual pain left from the surgery and I was ready to start moving. Unfortunately it is 107 degrees outside and I don't think I would last very long in that heat. So I decided to heck with hot trainer, I am going to the gym.
I saw the normal receptionist and she was kind of acting strange but made the comment that she was really glad I was back. She was there when the trainer started going off on me about how disappointed he was in me for having the lap band surgery so she knows everything.
Hit the treadmill, did 30 minutes at my normal warm up pace since I am not even two weeks out from surgery, but it was enough to break a sweat...did I mention it is 107 outside? On the way to the locker room to get my stuff I run into trainer in the lobby. I really wasn't sure how this was going to turn out at all. He freaked out because he didn't know I was coming. I told him I wasn't aware that I had to call ahead and let him know. He asked me when my surgery was and I gave him the details. His jaw literally hit the floor when he realized I was back at the gym less then two weeks out. He said that he wrote me off and thought since I was going the WLS route that I would just not go to the gym anymore. I told him that he obviously doesn't know me very well and should have talked to me about that instead of attacking me with grande negativity.
The high point of the entire conversation, he asked me how much weight I had lost. I told him about 12 pounds so far. He freaked out and said that I look so much different already and that my face is thinner then he has ever seen it. He also said that I look 10 years younger.
I haven't decided if I will train with him or not, like I said I do have 12 sessions but I have no doubts if I do use him I will not purchase anymore.
Ever since the horrible encounter I have been kind of avoiding the gym. Just didn't want to have to see him and defend my choices again. Well yesterday I felt really good, no residual pain left from the surgery and I was ready to start moving. Unfortunately it is 107 degrees outside and I don't think I would last very long in that heat. So I decided to heck with hot trainer, I am going to the gym.
I saw the normal receptionist and she was kind of acting strange but made the comment that she was really glad I was back. She was there when the trainer started going off on me about how disappointed he was in me for having the lap band surgery so she knows everything.
Hit the treadmill, did 30 minutes at my normal warm up pace since I am not even two weeks out from surgery, but it was enough to break a sweat...did I mention it is 107 outside? On the way to the locker room to get my stuff I run into trainer in the lobby. I really wasn't sure how this was going to turn out at all. He freaked out because he didn't know I was coming. I told him I wasn't aware that I had to call ahead and let him know. He asked me when my surgery was and I gave him the details. His jaw literally hit the floor when he realized I was back at the gym less then two weeks out. He said that he wrote me off and thought since I was going the WLS route that I would just not go to the gym anymore. I told him that he obviously doesn't know me very well and should have talked to me about that instead of attacking me with grande negativity.
The high point of the entire conversation, he asked me how much weight I had lost. I told him about 12 pounds so far. He freaked out and said that I look so much different already and that my face is thinner then he has ever seen it. He also said that I look 10 years younger.
I haven't decided if I will train with him or not, like I said I do have 12 sessions but I have no doubts if I do use him I will not purchase anymore.
Monday, July 11, 2011
I love chewing
After my doctor's appointment last week he told me to start transitioning into soft foods, he really doesn't have a "mushy" list. I started off mashed potatoes late last week then moved on to raviolis, mac and cheese, and turkey deli meat and cheese by the weekend. Last night we went to the movies and out to eat. D and I were both a little apprehensive about where/what to eat but we decided on Mexican and I ate about 3/4 of a chicken quesadilla. I am pretty sure that I could have eaten the entire thing but I was tired of chewing...who would have thought.
The hardest thing for me this weekend was going to the movies and not getting popcorn. I am the kind of person that can eat a 4 course meal before the movies and still buy at least a small popcorn. Instead I brought in a bottle of water and drank on that through the movie. It wasn't the same but...
At this point I really feel like I could eat whatever I wanted. I am not going to do anything crazy and order a Mcdonalds value meal, but I totally feel like I would have not problem eating it. I also can tell now that I have no restriction and am really having to start taking those extra slow bites so I get tired of eating before I get full. The next three weeks before my fill are going to be long ones.
Oh, I was really worried about gaining after I started on soft food but I think the added calories helped and I was down 2 pounds this morning!! That's 11.6 total!
The hardest thing for me this weekend was going to the movies and not getting popcorn. I am the kind of person that can eat a 4 course meal before the movies and still buy at least a small popcorn. Instead I brought in a bottle of water and drank on that through the movie. It wasn't the same but...
At this point I really feel like I could eat whatever I wanted. I am not going to do anything crazy and order a Mcdonalds value meal, but I totally feel like I would have not problem eating it. I also can tell now that I have no restriction and am really having to start taking those extra slow bites so I get tired of eating before I get full. The next three weeks before my fill are going to be long ones.
Oh, I was really worried about gaining after I started on soft food but I think the added calories helped and I was down 2 pounds this morning!! That's 11.6 total!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
One week update
Feeling human again!! Hard to believe this time last week I was probably puking my guts out in my hospital room. I still have some pain on my left side where the port is but it is going away slowly. I woke up a few times in the night laying on that side (that is the side that my nuggle bug dog sleeps, it is hard not to curl up with him). No food issues at all and from what I can tell no gas pains. I haven't had to take one gas pill, maybe that is the hidden benefit of being sick after surgery.
The doctor's appointment went well yesterday. Dr. Atkins is a little hotty; not sure why I never noticed that before. He checked out the tattoo on foot; which is the finishers medal for the one and only marathon I have ever completed, and he said I would be back to running sooner than I think. Everything checked out well and he told me to start incorporating some soft foods into my diet. I ate mashed potatoes last night and will probably get a baked potato with cheese for lunch today. He suggested I try some high quality cold cuts and maybe some cheese. I will go to Whole Foods this weekend and pick some up. Kinda sad that I am this excited about lunch meat. Of course I still need to wait awhile before I can attempt grilled chicken or anything crazy like that. He also cleared me to start doing some cardio but no weights yet. I want to start my pilates classes but since I am still having some port pain I will probably wait a little while for that. My plan is to go to the gym this weekend and walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes. I will be interested if my old trainer has anything to say to me...but that is a story for another time.
Oh, they also scheduled my first fill, which is crazy to me since I still feel like I have no appetite from the surgery. I go in August 3!! The week before that I will be in Jackson MS for work, pretty much the fried food capital of the world. Too bad they couldn't have moved it up a few weeks.
The doctor's appointment went well yesterday. Dr. Atkins is a little hotty; not sure why I never noticed that before. He checked out the tattoo on foot; which is the finishers medal for the one and only marathon I have ever completed, and he said I would be back to running sooner than I think. Everything checked out well and he told me to start incorporating some soft foods into my diet. I ate mashed potatoes last night and will probably get a baked potato with cheese for lunch today. He suggested I try some high quality cold cuts and maybe some cheese. I will go to Whole Foods this weekend and pick some up. Kinda sad that I am this excited about lunch meat. Of course I still need to wait awhile before I can attempt grilled chicken or anything crazy like that. He also cleared me to start doing some cardio but no weights yet. I want to start my pilates classes but since I am still having some port pain I will probably wait a little while for that. My plan is to go to the gym this weekend and walk on the treadmill for 30-45 minutes. I will be interested if my old trainer has anything to say to me...but that is a story for another time.
Oh, they also scheduled my first fill, which is crazy to me since I still feel like I have no appetite from the surgery. I go in August 3!! The week before that I will be in Jackson MS for work, pretty much the fried food capital of the world. Too bad they couldn't have moved it up a few weeks.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
back to my normal routine
Made it to work today and was only 15 minutes late...which means I was on time in my book!! Of course I was greeted with the normal monday upper management staff meeting (me being out of the office Thursday and Friday and the rest of my team out Today) which was a waste of time. Blech, my job sucks. I do think that getting up and getting out of the house helped me though. I feel some pain but not a bunch. I took some advil before I left the house but haven't thought about taking any more since then. I did however break down and take some Philips MoM this morning. Big mistake. Let me just warn you that if you ever take this stuff stay close to the bathroom. I almost didn't make it to the work restroom in time and I hadn't even been here 30 minutes. At least I finally got the bathroom issues taken care of.
I ate Cream of Wheat for breakfast, ate about half before I just got tired of eating. At lunch we went to Mcalisters and I got a cup of soup and a baked potato with cheese. I didn't eat much of the potato but I feel like I ate Thanksgiving dinner. Even though I am not hungry, I have to admit I am starting to eye "normal" food.
I decided to take off work tomorrow, D has to have some stress test stuff done and he can't eat. Since he is borderline diabetic that is kind of worrisome. Not sure if he will want me to take him or not. I have my post-op visit at 1:45. I hope they tell me it is ok to take a bath and soak some of this gummy stuff off my stomach. I am scared to death to try to even wash it with a wash cloth. I did use a baby wipe on it the other day with no ill effects. All the bandages are off and it looks ok from what I can tell. My stomach was pretty bruised up but they all appear to be fading quickly. Honestly, until lately I have been to scared to look and have had D look for me and make sure they didn't look too bad.
So tomorrow I get to do the lovely barium swallow test and whatever kind of tests they were supposed to do before I left the hospital. I called and talked to Roberta and she said that I sound like a different person then she talked to Friday. I am so not looking forward to these tests.
I am off, just got an email that they are going to read the verdict in the Anthony case!! Gotta get a front row seat at the snack bar!!
I ate Cream of Wheat for breakfast, ate about half before I just got tired of eating. At lunch we went to Mcalisters and I got a cup of soup and a baked potato with cheese. I didn't eat much of the potato but I feel like I ate Thanksgiving dinner. Even though I am not hungry, I have to admit I am starting to eye "normal" food.
I decided to take off work tomorrow, D has to have some stress test stuff done and he can't eat. Since he is borderline diabetic that is kind of worrisome. Not sure if he will want me to take him or not. I have my post-op visit at 1:45. I hope they tell me it is ok to take a bath and soak some of this gummy stuff off my stomach. I am scared to death to try to even wash it with a wash cloth. I did use a baby wipe on it the other day with no ill effects. All the bandages are off and it looks ok from what I can tell. My stomach was pretty bruised up but they all appear to be fading quickly. Honestly, until lately I have been to scared to look and have had D look for me and make sure they didn't look too bad.
So tomorrow I get to do the lovely barium swallow test and whatever kind of tests they were supposed to do before I left the hospital. I called and talked to Roberta and she said that I sound like a different person then she talked to Friday. I am so not looking forward to these tests.
I am off, just got an email that they are going to read the verdict in the Anthony case!! Gotta get a front row seat at the snack bar!!
Monday, July 4, 2011
surgery recap
Thanks Cat, I checked my dashboard and most of the blog was there!
OK it has been almost a week since my surgery and I am finally starting to feel human again. Thought I would post a recap of the big event.....
I told everyone that I would be fine by myself at the hospital, no need to have anyone just hang out and be bored while I sleep and get waited on by the nursing staff. D drove me to the hospital and walked me up. We got there a little before 6am and had to wait a few minutes for the check in guy to get there and get the paperwork done. Once that was over with the pre-op nurse was waiting at the desk for me and walked me back and started doing all the required work on me, the IV was virtually painless but the heprin shot in the stomach felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I had a constant parade of people in, including the surgeon, Dr. Atkins and the sandman guy....Mr. Liarpants as I like to call him. I asked Mr. Liarpants if he was going to give me something to make sure I didn't get sick and he said he would....liarpant.
I woke up in recovery with Dr. Atkins telling me he had called D and that everything was perfect and they took pictures for the clinic...he said it couldn't have gone better and was much faster than he expected. Once they start to take me to my room I started to feel an overwhelming urge to puke. I made it to my room before I threw up everything I had eaten in the last week. I was miserable and was so glad no one was there to bug me and I could just try to lay as still as possible because every-time I moved I felt the urge to puke grow. I was throwing up again and begging for more zofran long before I was allowed another dose. So, Thursday was spent sleeping. I am really surprised they let me go home on Friday, there were discussions as to if they would let me or not. Since I was staying the night a hotel literally across the street they let me go. More nausea on the way out of the hospital and to the hotel. Once I got to the hotel and laid down I felt much better. Still wasn't up to running any races but felt like I could drink some juice and eat some pudding.
In good news I haven't felt nauseous since Friday but I know I am not eating enough because I don't want to. Believe me, I think throwing up after this surgery is one of the most painful things I have had to live through and I am not a pansy, I ran for two weeks with a stress fracture in my knee...but I feel like a big baby. I have been up and walking but I do get light headed pretty easy. I haven't taken any kind of pain pill stronger then OTC Advil since Friday night. D talked me into going to the walmart last night, I was fine but still felt pretty weak and "swimmy".
I envy everyone who has written about how easy everything went for them and I am seriously in awe of anyone who flew home from Mexico days after having this done, I couldn't have done that. The intense nausea just makes everything 100 times worse.
The plan for today is to go out to eat for some soup, not sure where and to the mall to walk a lap or so around for some exercise out of the heat. I know I will feel more normal once I start to eat better but I seriously am not hungry and have to remind myself to eat. BTW according to the doctor scale I have lost 10 pounds.
Supposed to go back to work tomorrow but I am not sure if I will be up to it. I have to go to the doctor on Wed. to do all the tests that they were supposed to do before I left on Friday but were afraid would make me sick again. Chances are I will not go back to work until Thursday.
Thanks to everyone who checked in on me!!
I told everyone that I would be fine by myself at the hospital, no need to have anyone just hang out and be bored while I sleep and get waited on by the nursing staff. D drove me to the hospital and walked me up. We got there a little before 6am and had to wait a few minutes for the check in guy to get there and get the paperwork done. Once that was over with the pre-op nurse was waiting at the desk for me and walked me back and started doing all the required work on me, the IV was virtually painless but the heprin shot in the stomach felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I had a constant parade of people in, including the surgeon, Dr. Atkins and the sandman guy....Mr. Liarpants as I like to call him. I asked Mr. Liarpants if he was going to give me something to make sure I didn't get sick and he said he would....liarpant.
I woke up in recovery with Dr. Atkins telling me he had called D and that everything was perfect and they took pictures for the clinic...he said it couldn't have gone better and was much faster than he expected. Once they start to take me to my room I started to feel an overwhelming urge to puke. I made it to my room before I threw up everything I had eaten in the last week. I was miserable and was so glad no one was there to bug me and I could just try to lay as still as possible because every-time I moved I felt the urge to puke grow. I was throwing up again and begging for more zofran long before I was allowed another dose. So, Thursday was spent sleeping. I am really surprised they let me go home on Friday, there were discussions as to if they would let me or not. Since I was staying the night a hotel literally across the street they let me go. More nausea on the way out of the hospital and to the hotel. Once I got to the hotel and laid down I felt much better. Still wasn't up to running any races but felt like I could drink some juice and eat some pudding.
In good news I haven't felt nauseous since Friday but I know I am not eating enough because I don't want to. Believe me, I think throwing up after this surgery is one of the most painful things I have had to live through and I am not a pansy, I ran for two weeks with a stress fracture in my knee...but I feel like a big baby. I have been up and walking but I do get light headed pretty easy. I haven't taken any kind of pain pill stronger then OTC Advil since Friday night. D talked me into going to the walmart last night, I was fine but still felt pretty weak and "swimmy".
I envy everyone who has written about how easy everything went for them and I am seriously in awe of anyone who flew home from Mexico days after having this done, I couldn't have done that. The intense nausea just makes everything 100 times worse.
The plan for today is to go out to eat for some soup, not sure where and to the mall to walk a lap or so around for some exercise out of the heat. I know I will feel more normal once I start to eat better but I seriously am not hungry and have to remind myself to eat. BTW according to the doctor scale I have lost 10 pounds.
Supposed to go back to work tomorrow but I am not sure if I will be up to it. I have to go to the doctor on Wed. to do all the tests that they were supposed to do before I left on Friday but were afraid would make me sick again. Chances are I will not go back to work until Thursday.
Thanks to everyone who checked in on me!!
GGGRRR
I just wrote a long post recapping my surgery day and it didn't post : ( I will have to try again later. Man that really makes me mad!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)